28 minute read
News
Paul Michael (Commercial Director, Coventry Building Society Arena) and Zamurad Hussain (CWLEP).
Work is underway to create the new south pavilion entrance to Coventry Building Society Arena ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
It is the fourth stage in a multi-millionpound project to create the state-of-the-art Commonwealth Convention Centre at the venue.
The new south pavilion will be the main gateway to the convention centre and provide seamless access to the 7,750 square metres of indoor conference and exhibition space at the Arena.
Work already completed includes the renovation of the 6,000 square metre Indoor Arena, the aesthetic transformation of the existing 1,750 square metres of space beneath the Arena, which is now the convention centre, and the creation and launch of a popular new sports bar, The Anecdote.
New state-of-the-art convention centre
When completed, the pavilion entrance will provide access to the new Convention Centre Lobby, an open plan multi-purpose reception space offering flexible options for event organisers.
The south pavilion is the centre-piece of the multi-million-pound redevelopment of the venue and will be clearly seen from Jimmy Hill Way.
The Commonwealth Convention Centre is set to open its doors in early 2022 as Coventry Building Society Arena gears up to host rugby sevens, judo and wrestling at the Commonwealth Games.
After the games, the convention centre will further cement the Arena as a modern, flexible and market leading facility for the conference and exhibition industry.
The project is funded through the £3.8 million granted to the venue by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), via the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) as part of the Government’s Getting Building Fund.
An additional £1.4 million has also been made available to Coventry Building Society Arena via CWLEP from the Local Growth Fund and Growing Places Fund.
Stephen Vaughan, Wasps Group Chief Executive, said: “The south pavilion entrance will provide the perfect gateway to our new state-of-the-art convention centre.
“In recent months, the Arena has undergone a significant transformation and the updates we have made so far have been incredibly well-received by organisers holding their conferences and exhibitions with us.
“We are making these changes to further establish the Arena as a market-leading convention and conference centre. The creation of the new south pavilion is integral to those plans and to see construction underway is fantastic.
“With the completion of the south pavilion we will be ready for the attention of the world to be focused on Coventry Building Society Arena as part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.”
Sarah Windrum, Chair of CWLEP, added: “It is fantastic to see another step forward in creating the south pavilion which is certain to attract delegates from across the UK to the city and boost our economy.
“This type of venue is vital not only during Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture 2021 and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games but also to secure the long-term future of conferencing in the region.”
Recognition for property and construction company
The Wigley Group has been named joint winner of the Property and Construction Business of the Year at the Coventry Live Business 2021 Awards.
Partnership brings new opportunities
Wasps Rugby have partnered with a college in the birthplace of rugby to launch a new rugby programme in Warwickshire.
The partnership with Rugby College, which is part of WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group), will create opportunities for young rugby players aged over 16 to secure a college qualification while developing their skills on a rugby pitch.
Players will study for a Level 3 BTEC Diploma in Sporting Excellence and Performance while also representing Rugby College in the British Colleges Sport League.
The course will include strength and conditioning workshops, training sessions and matchdays. It will cover health, wellbeing, nutrition, anatomy, physiology, sport massage and more units focused on professional sports performance.
The first cohort of students/players will start on the course in September 2022 and will be based at Rugby College while also accessing local facilities for strength and conditioning, training and competitive matches. Students will be given opportunities to visit Wasps’ state-of-the-art Elite Performance and Innovation Centre and home stadium Coventry Building Society Arena.
The partnership is set to bring wider benefits to students and staff across a wide range of courses.
Simon Philpott, Assistant Principal at Rugby College, said: “To be partnering with Gallagher Premiership rugby club Wasps on this programme is a major boost and the programme will give young people from across the region the chance to study and play the sport they love at the same time.
“The programme aims to motivate young people by combining sport and academic studies to maximise their potential.
“We have seen great success at Moreton Morrell College with the Leamington FC Academy and hope to mirror that success with this partnership with Wasps.
“The partnership will bring a wide range of benefits across a range of courses and departments at the college and we are now recruiting for the first cohort of students to join the associated new course.”
Kevin Harman, Head of Recruitment and Academy at Wasps, said: “This is the first time Wasps has entered into a partnership of this type and we’re looking forward to strengthening our relationship with WCG and Rugby College.
“There will be a number of opportunities from the programme away from the rugby pitch, from masterclasses and work placements, to special visits and career advice sessions.
“While the programme with the college won’t provide a direct pathway into our Wasps Academy set-up, we are always looking for excellent rugby players to join our academy and there will 100 per cent be a chance for students at Rugby College to show us what they can do.”
Theo Vukasinovic (Wasps senior squad), Sam-Amos Simpson (16), Marley Forrest (16), George Nixon (18), Simon Philpott (WCG) and Kevin Harman (Wasps).
A leading college group is calling on industry leaders in key sectors to help it deliver on local, regional and national skills agendas.
WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group) is looking for individuals to join the advisory boards of each of its six colleges – and new board members will have a key role in ensuring the college delivers skills to support the economies it works in.
The college group operates across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, and is seeking new advisory board members for Royal Leamington Spa College, Rugby College, Moreton Morrell College, Warwick Trident College, Pershore College and Evesham College.
New advisory board members required
It is particularly looking for representatives in sectors which are key to the localities in which its colleges are based. The key sectors in which the college is seeking new advisory board members range from hospitality, horticulture and IT, to engineering, railway engineering and construction.
Advisory boards at each college play a central role in identifying key local needs and ensuring the college offering is responding to those needs.
The boards meet each term to discuss new strategies on the educational character of the colleges and the needs of local stakeholders, while counselling on whether their curriculum matches the area’s economic needs.
Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, said: “As a college group we look to involve businesses at every stage in the development of our courses and apprenticeship provision.
“This has been backed up by the Government in recent months as they have urged all FE colleges to work closer with businesses in their surrounding areas.
“Our advisory boards are one of the means by which we ensure that we are using our resources in the right places to support the economy in the regions where our colleges are based.
“By strengthening ties with WCG, advisory board members get access to new contact networks and a direct link to the brightest young talent to support the future of their businesses.
“While we are looking for people to join our boards across all sectors, we are particularly keen to speak with industry leaders in hospitality, horticulture, IT, engineering and construction to help guide our provision in these areas.”
For more information about joining an advisory board at WCG contact executiveoffice@wcg.ac.uk and to find out more about the college group and its colleges visit www.wcg.ac.uk
The company was one of 30 finalists in 11 categories that celebrated the finest businesses, entrepreneurs and organisations in Coventry and Warwickshire.
Over the past year, The Wigley Group has completed the first phase of the regeneration of the site of the former Daimler car factory in Coventry, with the major refurbishment of the powerhouse building into a £2.4million creative hub.
Other significant projects completed include the high-performance training complex in Henley-in-Arden for Wasps Rugby Club, the purpose-built Red Kangaroo trampoline park in Exhall, Coventry, and the first phase of improvements at Ashton Lodge Country House in Warwickshire, an Edwardian property that is now run as a wedding venue.
All four were carried out by Wigley Building & Development.
The Wigley Group has also sealed two seven-figure commercial property deals and carried out its own internal reorganisation with all of the newly-created roles filled through internal promotions while previous participants of its graduate and placement schemes have been given permanent jobs.
A £10,000 annual community fund to support people living around its HQ has been launched, and the four-year sponsorship of former paratrooper Jaco van Gass culminated in the cyclist winning two gold medals and a bronze medal at the Paralympic Games.
James Davies, Chief Executive of The Wigley Group, said: “It has been very much foot to the floor for our businesses during the pandemic, and this award is great recognition of the work all of our teams have done in what have at times been very challenging circumstances.
“This is an exciting time as we continue to adapt in order to drive the growth that we have seen in recent years.”
The Queen’s Baton for the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay with co-creator Karl Hamlin, MD at Kajul.
Glued Agency communicate success for Kajul and the Queen’s Baton
Branding experts Glued Agency recently supported client Kajul in breaking their news about co-creating the Queen’s Baton for the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay.
The Branding Agency worked with Kajul, a Midlands-based design development company that specialises in delivering innovative, cost-efficient engineering solutions, to support the brand during this project. Glued based in Leamington-Spa deliver compelling creative marketing campaigns.
Glued Agency have worked with Kajul on previous ventures – including a progressive brand proposition, brand, marketing, website and signage - and were delighted to support them again with this prestigious project.
In order to co-create the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton, Kajul worked alongside Raymont-Osman, the main Product Designers, as well as MAOKWO, Artists, and Birmingham Open Media, Technology Practitioners, and asked Glued to support them with their communications.
Karl Hamlin, MD at Kajul, says: ‘From start to finish, this has been such a wonderful project to be a part of. From working on the prototype, to fabrication and completion of the baton, then unveiling our work in Birmingham, ahead of the Games, seeing the relay start at Buckingham Palace to seeing our work in the headlines – we’ve had a blast!’
Rob Harrison, Partner at Glued, agrees: ‘Our team were thrilled to be able to join in on the action and support Karl and the team at Kajul with this amazing project.
Well done Karl and co!
For further information about Kajul and their Commonwealth project visit www.kajul.co.uk To find out more about Glued vist www.gluedlimited.co.uk
Local MP Mark Pawsey goes back to school in visit to Houlton
Houlton School teachers and pupils welcomed Mark to the state-of-the-art education facility
Rugby MP Mark Pawsey joined founding pupils and staff of Houlton School to explore the new site, which officially opened its doors to 180 Year 7 pupils in September.
Located at the heart of the growing neighbourhood of Houlton, the £35million project has been delivered seven years ahead of schedule and has seen the historic Grade II-listed Rugby Radio Station building transformed into a state-of-the-art education facility.
Mark was joined by Nigel Hugill, Chief Executive of Urban&Civic, Johanne Thomas, Regional Director for Communities at Urban&Civic and Houlton School’s Principal, Michael McCulley, for a tour of the school to celebrate the culmination of over two years of development, restoration and iconic transformation funded by Urban&Civic with support from the Department for Education.
Standing in the historic Rugby Radio Station’s Transmission Hall, which is now at the heart of the school campus, Mark saw how many of the building’s original features have been carefully restored to link the new school to the heritage of the former Rugby Radio Station. Mark was also shown the newly built additional school buildings, which includes a humanities block and science labs.
Speaking after his visit, Mark said: “I’ve had the opportunity to see the development of Houlton School since work began and it was great to see the first cohort of Year 7 pupils enjoying the new facilities. The school delivers on creating a fully modern, state-of-the-art, educational centre whilst still recalling the unique heritage of the former Rugby Radio Station Building. It is also thanks to the hard work of Urban&Civic and those who worked on building Houlton School that it has been able to open on time, despite the challenges of the pandemic.”
Mark continued: “Houlton School has also been delivered seven years earlier than originally proposed and is a great example of delivering infrastructure in tandem with new houses. The school is a real jewel in the crown of the growing community at Houlton, and it is another example of how Urban&Civic is paving the way for the future of building communities, not just here in Rugby, but throughout the country.”
Johanne Thomas added: “We were keen to show Mark just how resilient Houlton has been through this challenging period – from all perspectives. Transforming a listed building into a school, through a global pandemic, has been a huge challenge but made possible through the commitment of our contractors and partnership with Principal Michael McCulley and Transforming Lives Education Trust (TLET).”
Michael McCulley commented on the visit: “It was an honour to take Mark Pawsey on a tour of our finished school. As a new school, we have had the great privilege of building our community from scratch. We have taken so much inspiration from the iconic heritage and stunning architecture of our location and have developed a campus featuring state-of-the-art facilities that will provide so many world class opportunities for our pupils.”
For more information visit www.houltonrugby.co.uk
Can you support The Myton Hospices this Christmas and beyond?
The Myton Hospices is appealing to businesses across the region to play a vital part in its festive fundraising campaigns and the launch of its 40th anniversary year.
At Myton, Christmas takes on a very special, and poignant meaning.
Many, patients, and their families will be facing what may be their last Christmas together – doing all they can to make every moment as special as it can be and create forever memories.
Myton relies. almost entirely. on the support of the local community across Coventry and Warwickshire to fund the amazing work it does to care for patients with a terminal illness and their families. It has, to raise a staggering £7.8million each year to provide its care, free of charge. Which is why the season of goodwill is so important and why it is appealing to fellow Chamber members to dig deep at a time we know could be hard to do so, and support Myton in any way you can to help continue their amazing work.
Myton would be delighted if you were able to take part in their Festive Fun Days – simply picking a day in the run up to Christmas where you undertake some kind of fundraising - either having a Christmas Jumper/dress down day, festive quizzes, Christmas Tote Cards and donate a few pounds to the cause.
Myton also needs help with its annual Christmas Tree Collection campaign, which is run in partnership with Coventry charity Pass the Smile – and are looking for support in the following areas: • Sponsors – with opportunities ranging from £200 to £1,000 all offering great brand exposure opportunities. • Van donations – we need 30 vans to collect all the Christmas trees in early
January, if you have a van to spare (even better if it comes with volunteers) then please contact us. • Volunteers – we need as many people as we can to drive the vans and collect the trees, if your company has willing volunteers/a CSR scheme in place, your support would be hugely welcomed. • Business – if you have a Christmas tree that needs recycling in return for a donation, please get in touch – and spread the word!
Chris Willmott, Corporate Fundraiser at The Myton Hospices, said: “Christmas is a key fundraising time for us at Myton – and a great opportunity for our supporters to have some fun while raising vital money to fund our work and support our patients and their families.
“We have lots of ways to get involved, but are happy for people to raise money in any way that suits them.
“Any support you can give, no matter how small or large, will make a huge difference to the lives of our patients, so please do get in touch.”
All details including our fabulous Santa Dash on Sunday 12th December – can be found on our website: www.mytonhospice. org, where you will also find details, as and when they are announced, of all our plans for our 40th anniversary. The corporate team at Myton are always on-hand to answer any questions and support you through your fundraising journey. Contact Chris Willmott on chris.willmott@mytonhospice.org or Yasmin Audhali on Yasmin.audhali@mytonhospice.org
Full house adds up to funds for charity
BINGO numbers added up to a successful evening of fundraising for a Warwickshire charity thanks to local law firm Alsters Kelley.
More than £3,400 was raised for The Friendship Project, thanks to match funding by Four Acres Trust.
It was a ‘full house’ for the bingo event, at The Bulldog in Whitnash last month, which provided a much-needed boost for another charity impacted by the pandemic.
Supported by the Social Services of Warwickshire, the charity matches children who are in need, for a variety of reasons, with volunteers for friendship and fun.
Established in 1986, it has helped around 1,000 children in the Alcester, Atherstone, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth, Nuneaton, Rugby, Shipston, Stratford, Southam and Warwick areas.
Angela Truman, from The Friendship Project said: “Lockdown has been extremely difficult for everyone; however, we received a lot of interest from people during this time to help and support as volunteers which is fantastic. But the requirement is constant and growing.
“The children we support may be caring for a sick parent or be limited to where they can go on holiday because of a disabled sibling or other family member. For some children, even playing in the park or going to the cinema are a rare treat. Having some time out from often difficult home situations really does improve the child’s self-esteem and self-worth. Our volunteers report that they too enjoy spending time with their Younger Friend knowing that they are really making a difference to a child’s life.”
Angela added: “Our focus is now very much on raising money so that we can provide the opportunities for the carers to take the children and young people away from their normal environment to have some fun. So, we are very grateful to the team at Alsters Kelley for their ongoing support this year and for all the funds raised by the bingo night and raffle – it was great night and we enjoyed taking part.”
The Friendship Project is just one of the nominated charities being supported by Alsters Kelley, which was established in the 1980s and now has offices in Coventry, Leamington, Southam, Stratford and Nuneaton.
Legal assistant and one of the firm’s charity champions Britanie Jeffery, who organised the event, said: “We had a great evening – the support we had was fantastic and there was so much laughter in the room, everyone was so generous.
“My initial fundraising target was £500 so to have tripled it and then had it matched was way beyond what we had expected.”
Further information on how to volunteer to be a Friend or donate to The Friendship Project can be found at: https://friendshipproject.co.uk/
IPP pledges to prevent empty running to cut carbon emissions and create a sustainable future
LEADING pallet pool provider IPP has pledged to play its part in preventing empty running by launching an educational campaign targeting UK hauliers, retailers and the entire supply chain within the FMCG markets.
The campaign, called ‘It’s What’s Inside That Matters’ has been developed alongside the many other collaborative solutions IPP offers, but focuses on empty running. Working in such turbulent times, IPP understands that maximising all empty trailers is imperative. This campaign seeks to show how the solutions that IPP employ ensure supply chains can continue to run seamlessly, leading to a more efficient and sustainable way of working. A reduction of empty vehicles significantly reduces the amount of carbon emitted and supports IPP’s commitments towards a sustainable future.
As part of the campaign, IPP is running a competition to thank customers and the haulier heroes who the industry relies on. To do this, 500 free IPP branded mugs are being given away and placed inside delivery vehicles nationwide. Hauliers who find an IPP mug are then invited to show their support to prevent empty running by entering IPP’s competition. Anyone else who would like to enter is also welcomed to get involved by following the below instructions.
To enter, entrants will need to take a photo with their free IPP branded mug or any other IPP branded item they may own, follow the IPP Pooling page on LinkedIn and then tag the photo with #ItsWhatsInsideThatMatters and @IPP-Pooling. The best photos will win either the top prize of a 102cm toy IPP 12v lorry, which is ideal for the next generation of hauliers, or one of two £25 Greggs vouchers. The deadline for all entries is 12 December 2021*.
Shelley Harris, commercial director at IPP, said: “Empty running is an issue throughout the supply chain - it is inefficient, costly, and ultimately doesn’t positively contribute towards sustainability targets.
“We are committed to raising awareness that throughout the supply chain we can achieve more by working together. It’s critical to ensure we are maintaining and promoting strong communication in the ever changing fast paced networks. Eliminating empty running is greatly beneficial for not only the businesses but also the environment.
“As well as the promotional engagement with our customers through the giveaways and social media competition, three of our partners are now out on the road with specially branded “It’s What’s Inside That Matters” curtains on their vehicles. These not only look amazing and will remind others of our campaign message, but they demonstrate the value we place on working in partnership with others to make a real difference to the supply chain.”
Keith Clark at Clark Transport Ltd/ UKPC (UK Pallet Collections Ltd) said: “There is a growing awareness in the industry that something needs to be done to prevent empty running and we are delighted to be working in partnership with IPP and to proudly have the campaign promoted on our curtain. We would encourage other hauliers to join us in working with retailers to prevent empty running as it’s beneficial to everyone.”
In addition to Clark Transport, key partners, Hawkins Logistics and Robert M Lawson are also backing the campaign with their customer lorries already on the road across the country.
IPP ships more than 50 million pallets each year to the fast-moving consumer goods industry (FMCG), such as food and clothing, and to recycling sectors through its European network of 61 service centres.
For more information about IPP visit www.ipp-pooling.com
Help build our legacy #GettingGamesReady
The Canal & River Trust is #GettingGamesReady as we look forward to 2022 and the celebrations across the West Midlands in advance of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
We’re proud to have the United by Birmingham 2022 community brand – specifically for volunteering, community engagement on our canals and for plastics challenge – clearing our canals of harmful waste.
This is just a snapshot of the work of the Trust and we would love business partners to come on board in coming months to join us to celebrate our heritage and beautiful blue waterways as part of showcasing the West Midlands to the world and building a legacy for the future.
Business can get involved in many ways – from helping to enhance our waterways through corporate social responsibility; be it employees contributing through volunteering, working in partnership, or sponsorship opportunities.
Help us build communities, celebrate, and nurture the history of our canals and create accessible green and blues spaces for all.
Coventry’s Telegraph Hotel has been named one of the top 100 hotels in Britain in a leading hospitality guide – just five months after opening
The luxury 4* hotel, which celebrates the cool Mid-Century style of the former Coventry Telegraph offices, has been included in the annual Sunday Times 100 Best British Hotels guide
The survey highlights the quality design of the hotel, and the food and drink served in the Forme & Chase bar and restaurant, and the Telegraph is one of only two hotels from the West Midlands chosen in the guide.
The Telegraph opened in May after a two-year, £18 million investment programme, and has won praise from a string of national media who have visited and reviewed the hotel.
Ian Harrabin, who with his brother Brian, developed and owns the hotel – which is operated by Bespoke Hotels – said this was the highest accolade to date.
He said: “To be included in the Sunday Times top 100 after just five months trading is testament to the quality and design of the Telegraph, but also to the team, led by Amy Windsor, who have provided such a high level of customer service.
“We had to twice delay opening because of Covid but have delivered what we promised – a hotel which not only provides something new and different to people visiting the city and the region, but will also attract people purely to sample what we have created.
“To see the Telegraph Hotel featured in the Sunday Times guide really is a reward to everyone involved in the project and hopefully it will drive more people to come experience the hotel, but also Coventry, in what is a massive year for the city.
For further information about the Telegraph Hotel visit www.telegraph-hotel.com
TruTac demonstrates easier fleet control at busy CV Show
TruTac, the tachograph and compliance expert, reported great success with numerous enquiries from many sectors across of the transport industry at this year’s CV Show.
Commercial operations and marketing director, Jemma James, said: “I put it down mainly to our lively and enthusiastic stand team. Also, our TruFleet management control software with EPMI – electronic document control attracted a great deal of interest and numerous fleet managers commented on how they expected the system to make vehicle management and compliance control a lot easier.”
Approved under DVSA’s Earned Recognition scheme, TruFleet enables transport managers to plan, organise and control all aspects of day-to-day fleet and operator licence management, including vehicle history, maintenance planning, document online storage, audit checks, safety inspections, brakes and tyres defect reporting, LOLER checks and repairs, tax and insurance updates, and tachograph calibration.
Also catching the eye of many show visitors from the PSV sector was TruTac’s TruFleet CPT Fleet Management. This is a similar yet adapted system developed in conjunction with the CPT (Confederation of Passenger Transport) for PSV operators to plan and manage all vehicle maintenance and compliance requirements using the latest TruTac technology.
Jemma added that the team was also pleased to advise fleet managers of the various ways in which TruTac’s TruControl system can be accessed via the web to help maximise resources during the current driver shortage.
She said: “Apart from anything else, TruTime enables drivers to clock in and out, while managers can compare clock-in times against actual times driven, thereby keeping within WTD regulations and generally getting the most out of every driver and vehicle, while at all times remaining compliant.”
Ten of law firm Lodders’ senior team who are specialists in family, agriculture, private client, real estate, and charity law, have been named as among the best in the UK by the legal profession’s elite guide to the country’s leading lawyers.
The Chambers Guide ranks UK individual lawyers and law firms based on their expertise and client feedback. The 2022 edition sees Beverley Morris, head of Lodders Family Law practice, James Spreckley, head of its agricultural practice, and head of the firm’s private
Lodders retains top place in elite legal guide
client team Louise Igoe retain the highest Band 1 position for lawyers in their individual area of the law.
The latest edition of Chambers also names the firm’s David Lodder and Martin Green as ‘Senior Statesperson’, with Dan McLeod – senior associate in Lodders’ real estate practice – given the accolade of ‘Associate to Watch’ in recognition of his advice on all aspects of the residential development life cycle for landowners, land promoters and developers.
Agriculture lawyer Ian Flavell is recognised for his work in protecting clients’ land assets, and specialist tax and succession planning advice with a Chambers’ Band 2 ranking. Charity law expert Mark Lewis, family lawyers Caroline Dresden - a specialist in financial remedy proceedings for high-net worth individuals – and partner Vivienne Middleton, together with Jane Senior and Victoria Khandker both partners in Lodders’ Dispute Resolution team, are all recognised by the guide.
Lodders’ managing partner Paul Mourton says the firm’s rankings by Chambers UK, not only continue its year-on-year recognition for many of its specialist teams, but are also evidence of the firm’s best in breed lawyers, legal excellence, exceptional client service and sustained performance:
“Chambers is respected for its integrity, independence and objectivity in researching and finding the very best lawyers in their fields, and it is a fantastic achievement for Lodders and so many of our lawyers to be highly recognised once again. It is credit to the firm’s talent, exceptional work, commitment to excellence, client service and quality of advice provided each and every day.”
Last month, several of Lodders specialist teams also retained the coveted tier 1 spot in the Legal 500 that analyses the capabilities of law firms and assesses and ranks their strengths, including its real estate, family law, agriculture, and private client teams.
For more information: www.lodders.co.uk
Charity Golf Day raises £10,000 for Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice
A charity golf day organised by members of the Zoë’s Place Business Group has raised £10,000 for the hospice.
It was third time lucky for the 4 Ball Better-Ball event, at Coventry Golf Club, which had originally been due to take place in the summer of last year.
Due to Covid the event was rescheduled for July 1st this year – the 10th anniversary of the hospice opening its doors – but was again postponed due to ongoing restrictions.
Nineteen teams took part in the event – a mixture of individuals, club members and corporate companies.
Proceeds raised will help provide palliative, respite and end-of-life care for babies and children up to the age of five with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses.
Organiser Martin Sutliff is Head PGA Professional at Coventry Golf Club and a member of Zoë’s Place Business Group. He said the event proved so popular the golf club has already pencilled in a date for another golf day in aid of Zoë’s Place next year.
He said: “The Club is proud to host this fantastic event – the second of its kind - on behalf of Zoë’s Place. The hospice is an excellent cause, and the players were excited to be able to support it.
“The first event, held in 2019, raised £6,000 and it was always our ambition to smash through that target this time around, especially as we were unable to host the same event last year. We are delighted with the support received and how much it raised. It was a wonderful day.”
The event was won by a team led by former Coventry City physio Neil Sillett and former midfielder Dave Phillips.
A silent auction held at the event raised £1,920 including £1,245 alone for the top prize of a Four-Ball at the exclusive JCB Golf and Country Club in Uttoxeter.
